Good Byes
by Queen of the Damned xx
Summary: What'll happen when daddy doesn't come home?


**Good-Byes**

"…_You're what?" He dropped his eating utensils and stared at her open mouthed. __The girl sat down across from him at the table, she looked a bit shocked herself, and yet thrilled at the same time. _

"_I'm…well…pregnant." She bit her bottom lip and looked at her hands. "I'm sorry if it's not what you want. I could…I understand. I mean, you never said you wanted a child, so I'm not sure if you're mad at me or not…" She didn't dare look up, she wasn't sure if he was even still there or not. But that thought was answered when she felt his hands grasping hers. _

"_I want this more than anything." She looked up. He was…grinning at her. She smiled and gave a small laugh. _

"_I love you…" She whispered. _

"_I love you too." _

**x-x-x-x-x**

She paced back and forth in front of the bedroom window, chewing on her nails. He'd been gone for too long now. She was beginning to worry, though she worried every time he left. She folded her arms across her chest and pulled her dark blue robe closer around her. Her mind racing with thoughts about him.

"Mommy?" She froze and turned to the doorway. Strange, she hadn't even heard the door open. The little boy stood there, his brown eyes wide as he stared at his mother. She smiled and knelt down, opening her arms. He ran to her, and she held him in a tight bear hug. "Mommy, where's daddy?"

"I…he'll be home soon sweetie." She said brushing his red hair out of his face with a smile. "Why aren't you in bed?"

"The thunder storm is keeping me up. Can I sleep with you?" She looked at him. Admiring how much he looked like his father. She nodded and lifted him up.

"Yes, you can." She said laying him down on the bed, and placing the covers carefully around him. She smiled and kissed his forehead, before crawling into the bed next to her son. "Good night, honey."

"Night...mommy…" He said with a yawn as he drifted off into a peaceful slumber. She lay there awake for what seemed like hours. Finally the sound of the front door made her jump out of the bed and dash down the stairs. She paused on the bottom step, tears filling her eyes.

"You're home…" She breathed, pulling him into a tight embrace.

"Of course I'm home. I'm sorry. There was just a lot going on…I'm sorry to worry you." He held her close. "Come on, I know you must be as tired as I am, let's get to bed." She stopped him.

"Aiden's sleeping in our room. Just go…see him please." He nodded and walked slowly up the stairs to their room. She hovered in the doorway watching silently. He sat on the edge of the bed and brushed the red hair out of the closed eyes of the little boy. After a few moments of cherished silence, he kissed his forehead and stood up.

"Won't he be upset when he wakes up and you're not there?" He whispered. She looked at the boy and bit her lower lip thoughtfully.

"I guess I should stay here. The storm terrifies him." She said with a quiet sigh.

"I'll sleep downstairs on the couch then." He gave her a quick kiss before he turned and walked down the stairs slowly. She hated not being with him, but they both knew they had a commitment to make to their child now. They'd do anything for him.

**x-x-x-x-x**

"Mommy! Mommy, wake up!"

"Ugh. What is it?" She asked sleepily, sitting up slowly and opening her eyes.

"Daddy's still here!" He said jumping up and down on the bed. She let out small groan and fell back on her pillow, turning her back to the little boy.

"I know." She said trying to go back to sleep. "Aiden, stop jumping." He slid off of the bed, bounding down the stairs.

"Daddy!" He said throwing his arms around his father.

"Hey, kiddo." He said laughing as he knelt down to ruffle the little boy's hair. "Where's mommy?"

"She's still sleeping."

"Let's go wake her up." He said lifting the boy up and placing him on his shoulders.

"Yippee!" The boy giggled, holding on tight to his father as they climbed the stairs to the bedroom.

"Oh Hermione!" He called sitting the boy down on the bed first, before he sat down as well.

"What, Ronald?" She asked, opening her eyes slightly to look at him. This was too early for her to be getting up. It was a Saturday for crying out loud. She needed a break.

"Morning sunshine!" He grinned, giving her a huge kiss on her cheek. She giggled, and pulled the covers over her head.

"Wake up mommy!" Aiden said jumping and falling over her. She reached her hands out from under the sheets and began to tickle him.

"What if I don't want to?" She asked laughing as she moved out from under her failing sanctuary of sheets. Ron began tickling her, grinning evilly.

"Then I won't stop torturing you." He said, laughing with the other two.

"Ronald! Stop it! I'm serious!" She gasped, unable to stop laughing.

**x-x-x-x-x**

The weekend passed too quickly for the happy family. Once again, Ron was off to work, and Hermione was stuck at home watching over Aiden. Another night passed, and Ron was running terribly late. She worried again. She wanted him to quit that job at the Ministry, but he wouldn't. There was a knock on the door and she ran to it, unaware of Aiden standing on the steps, looking down at the front door.

"Harry?" She asked staring at her friend. "Come in." She was still dressed from the previous day in a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. He stepped inside the house, looking down at his feet. "What is it?"

"It's Ron…"

"What about Ron?"

"I'm so sorry, Hermione." He was…crying. No, this couldn't be good.

"What about Ron?" She repeated, swallowing back tears.

"He's dead. There was…a group of Death Eaters…they didn't leave any survivors…after we heard about it, we went right away to see if someone did happen to stay alive…but no one did. Hermione I'm so sorry."

"No." He caught her just as her knees gave out. She sobbed into her friend's chest, repeating 'No.' over and over, trying to convince herself that it wasn't true.

"Mommy?" She looked down at the tug on her shirt.

"A-Aiden?" She wiped some of her tears away and knelt down, looking at him. "Oh honey…" She hugged him tightly, crying into the five-year-old's shoulder.

"Isn't daddy coming home?"

"No honey…daddy's not coming h-home…" She sobbed, holding onto him tightly. He hugged his mother back.

"Uncle Harry?" He looked up to the man as he knelt down behind Hermione, tears in his eyes as well.

"Yea, Aiden?"

"Where'd daddy go?" Hermione's sobs grew a little quieter as she loosened her grip on the boy and stared at him, trying to smile.

"Daddy…daddy went to see…daddy went on a very long trip. He wanted us to tell you that he loves you, and that he doesn't want you to forget him. He won't be coming back, and he wanted me to tell you that someday you'll understand." She said glancing at Harry, who just gave her a small nod.

"I wanted to say good-bye…" He said looking at his ratty old teddy bear. "Daddy said he wouldn't go anywhere without saying good-bye. Must've been important…huh mommy? Was it important?" Hermione was speechless, no, it wasn't important, yet it was. Instead she just hugged him again.


End file.
